The Ghost of Me
by BakaKonekoRKL
Summary: Post Movie. WWII has started, and Ed gets caught up in it after he sends Al to America. He'll find some familiar faces in the Nazi camps, but does he have what it takes to survive? Can he help them survive? [Complete][Insert Chapter: Lemon]
1. The Beginning of the End

Before we Begin…(Authoress Note) 

Hey everyone! All of my adoring fans…heh heh. This story I thought up while listening to the song of the same name by My Chemical Romance a few nights ago, and I thought, "Why hasn't anyone thought of this yet!?" (If you have, I apologize, I haven't seen it). Perhaps it was also inspired in part by Neko-Chan in Wonderland's story "I Won't Let Them Take You" (for Fruits Basket), so thanks a ton for such a great story, and people, go check it out!!!!! Anyway, it takes place after the movie, Conqueror of Shambala. I hope everyone likes it, even if some chapters are a little bit short. I'm trying to add some history into it, because we did a section on WWII in Lit and Psych last semester, though not all of it will be accurate since I'm only 15 and have only read a few books on the subject. All I know is that the movie took place before WWII but I am unsure about a lot. So if not everything's right or possible, just remember, it _is_ a fanfiction. I also tried to find German names for all of the characters that I'll be adding in (there's going to be several) and I tried to do it to fit "their" personality, though I really didn't have the patience to go through 300 names, so I picked some that were kind of close. I don't really think that's important, though. There may be some chapters that are songfics, because Avril Lavigne's "Keep Holding On" DEFINATLY fits in with some of my plans, as well as a few lines from a Fall Out Boy song. I also hope that no one is offended by anything. Personally, religion isn't a big thing in my life, but I don't care what religion a person is, as long as they're not assholes. So if someone says something like, "Damn Jews!" remember, it is WWII, and one of my best friends, Lauren, is Jewish. Also, "Gypsy" and "Roma" are the same thing, so I may use them interchangeably since "Roma" is…politer. I think that's all I have to say, so, now, on with the show!

Oh, and here's the disclaimer for the entire story: I don't own anything FMA related, or history related, or music related, but I DO own this story and MY characters, even though they may be based off of someone else's characters.

The Beginning of the End

"But, brother, why? We've only been together for a year, don't tell me we have to split up again!"

"It'll only be for a short time, Al. I promise. Right now there's just not enough money for me to come with you."

"Why even go at all, then?" Alphonse asked his older brother.

"Because," Edward replied, "I've heard from Hughes that that Hitler guy is gathering up soldiers. There's going to be war, Al, and I can't have you getting hurt, or worse."

"How do you know that the war won't spread there, too?"

"I don't," Ed admitted, "But there's nothing else we can do. There's nowhere else to go. Nothing's going on in America, and it's on the other side of the world, so it's the safest place to send you right now. I just need some more money, and when I have enough, I'll go over there and find you."

"But what if you _can't_?" Al asked with tears in his eyes, "What if you die here and I don't find out? What if we never see each other again?"

Ed embraced his brother, "I promise, there's nothing I won't do, nowhere I won't go until we're together again." (A/N credit goes to Vic Mignogna's awesome song, "Nothing I Won't Give" for the inspiration of that line).

The next day, Al got on the ship that was going to send him to America. Ed stood among the men sending their wives away, parents sending their children, and he waved good-bye with them. And, he cried with them.

edoarukyo

It was already beginning. When Ed got back to his apartment above the flower shop later that day, he turned on the radio to listen to since he no longer had a companion to talk with. There, a man was talking about Hitler's plans for the future. He was going to make Germany a country filled with blonde-haired, blue-eyed, Christian people. He was going to kill many people, Jews, Gypsies, and people with disabilities, both mental and physical among them.

Edward looked at his metal arm when he heard the last part. _Damnit,_ he thought, _I've got to get out of here._ And then he thought of Noa. Was she going to be killed, too? And the man that looked like Scar, and the woman that looked like Lust. Were they all going to be part of this genocide just because they didn't live up to that man's standards?

No. He wouldn't let them die. He wouldn't let _himself_ die. Not again. He'd already died once, left his brother alone once. He wouldn't let Al suffer anymore.

So he decided. He was going to join up with those damn…Nazis, right? Hughes could put in a good word for him. Secretly, Hughes was helping people, too, so why couldn't Ed, even if it seemed un-Ed-ish. He'd hide his arm and leg; no one would ever know. But he just had to do something. He wouldn't just stand by and have this world turn into another Liore, another Ishbal. And anyway, he knew that there were people here that looked like people who were close to him, his friends, and people he loved. If he let them all die without doing anything, without even _trying_…Even if they weren't the same people, he couldn't let his mother die again, or Pinako, or Winry…

Ed smiled in spite of himself. Winry would be safe. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, right? She wouldn't be touched, whoever that girl might be.

Edward turned off the radio and went down to the streets in search of Hughes, his mind made up.

Okay, okay, I know it was short. The next chapter is about twice as long, though, a little bit more, even. So don't worry  I'll update as often as possible, but as of now, I only have the next chapter done. It's called, "The Girl". It's about a girl. My jokes are almost as bad as my teachers…Anyway, check out "Clash of T3h Animes", and other stories Keri and I have written. Reviews are greatly appreciated, because then I/we know you're reading. If there aren't any reviews, why bother continuing with the story? Even if it's just a stupid review, like, "Cool", and I got one the other day for Clash that was just "HAHAHAHAHA". So anything you say matters  Unless it's something retarded like, "You suck" because that's pointless and I'll just delete it. So, Please Review!!!!!!!!


	2. The Girl

Thanks for the reviews and such!! This chapter is longer (yay!) and DEFINATLY rated T. Just so everyone knows, I'm using some stuff from the movie "Schindler's List", so FYI I don't own that. And I'm told that WWII lasted about 5 years? So sorry if everything doesn't match up. GOMEN!!!

**The Girl**

_Damnit, _Ed though, _It's the military all over again. Minus Colonel Bastard. But it's all the same. Death, killing. This must've been just like how Ishbal was. The extermination of an entire race…_

His thoughts were interrupted when some bombs went off nearby, and he heard the sounds of guns shooting in a building. His job, along with the soldiers that had come into the city with him, was to look Jews, and, upon finding any, kill them. He knew from the shooting that his "comrades" had found some in hiding.

Ed had gone off on his own. But he couldn't find anyone. Not that he'd kill them if he did; he planned to keep them hidden so they didn't get killed…or something. It was work in progress. Of course, without finding anyone, he couldn't exactly help anyone.

A mighty damn big effect _he_ was having on the world.

He kicked a rock in his path. It all just made him sick. Damnit, if he had to live in another world, couldn't he at least live in one _without_ the chaos of war!? He wondered how Alphonse was doing. He thought of his little brother often. After all, he'd been sent to America almost a year ago and hadn't heard of him since. He hoped he was fairing well…_anything_ had to be better than _this_.

Ed was pulled from his thoughts again when he heard some more shooting from up high in a building. No matter where they hid, he knew the Nazis would get them. Secret trap doors, holes in walls, under beds…He once had the "pleasure" of seeing part of the group he'd been forced to be in at one time flip over a bed, exposing some Jews that had taped (or something) themselves to the underside of the bed. Needless to say, the other soldiers fired about thirty shots at them. Ed had turned away, pretending to be looking for others.

He'd also heard of Jewish doctors treating sick Jewish patients. When the Nazis came to the hospital to kill them off, the doctors would give their patients "medicine"- really poison- so that by the time the Nazis arrived, they'd be dead already, even though the Nazis felt the need to shoot up the bodies anyway.

Ed silently wondered if Winry's parents had ever had to do that in Ishbal.

He was broken from his thoughts for a third time when he heard a noise in an alleyway. It wasn't the sound of guns, though (that sound could still be heard in the distance). He decided to check it out.

Ed had to go to the very back of the alley, and was beginning to think it was his imagination and he should turn back, but when he saw the figure huddled in the corner, he was glad he hadn't. Her hair and eyes were a little darker, but Ed recognized her immediately.

And she recognized him. Not as Ed, but as a Nazi. She stared at the symbol on his sleeve and the pin on his breast for as he stared at her, taking the sight in.

"Hey-" he started to speak when she fell to her knees and started begging.

"Please, don't hurt me!" she implored, "I don't have much, just a few old rings and a pair of earrings, but I'll give them to you if you leave me alone!"

"I don't want-" Ed held up his hands in front of him in defense.

"Y-you don't want them? Please! I don't have anything else to give you! Except……myself…" she looked nervous for a second, then continued, "I'll let you do whatever you want with me! Just please don't kill me!"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Ed exclaimed, blushing a bit, "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." He looked behind him to see is anyone was listening, and then continued in a whisper, "I'm here to help."

"B-but…you're a Nazi," the girl sniffed. Ed could now see that she had been crying.

"So? My friend is, too, and he's on your side as well," Ed smiled at her and knelt down inches in front of her. "The other guys with me are up there shooting down everyone they see, but if I say I've already checked down here, they'll leave. So you can probably just stay here for a while and maybe be safe. After this, people will probably come in again to gather up survivors for concentration camps. If you're lucky, you'll end up at a good one. I can see that you're strong," Ed said, looking at her muscular arms, "So as long as you're useful, they'll let you live. It'll be a tough battle, but Hitler and the Nazis can't keep this up forever. You'll be freed one day- I know, and it could all end in a month, or a decade, but just hold on until then and keep fighting your own battle," Ed took out some fresh, moist bread from his provisions for the day and handed it to her. He could go without lunch for one day.

"Thank you," the girl whispered, "But…why are you doing this…for me? I'm a Jew Gypsy…so why-?"

Ed smiled and stood up. "Because," he said, patting her head, "I'd die of misery if I let you die." The girl looked at him, confused, but he kept smiling at her. Then, he took his hand off of her head and turned to walk away, but stopped after a few steps.

"Hey," he said, "You know that if I had really been looking to kill you or whatever, I could have just taken that jewelry and stuff? So it's not the best idea to be offering that stuff to every guy you meet. If it happens again, you might not live anyway. Actually," he said, getting an idea, "If I promised to come find you again and give them back to you, would you give me that jewelry that you mentioned before?"

"B-but…I appreciate this, all of it, but it's all I have left of my family…"

"Here's the thing, though. If you somehow get shot or die some other way, those bastard Nazis will get them. And if you go on to a camp, they'll confiscate them from you for themselves. It's the first thing they'll do, trust me. And if for some reason I can't find you after this, I'll have my children (not that I plan on having any) or my brother's children find your children and get them to them. I swear. And anyway, which is better, me getting them to give back later…eventually (though I can't see you completely trusting me, obviously), or some other bastard?"

The young girl smiled. "You're right," she said and handed her treasures over to Edward, who put them in his pocket for the time being.

"I'll keep them safe. And don't worry. They _will_ be returned to you. Believe me, once I set my mind to something, I can't turn back. Now, keep in hiding, and good luck," he said and walked off.

_I can't believe it, _he thought as he walked back along the road, _I though that, of all people, at least _she_, and I guess Riza and Havoc, too would be fine, but I guess not. Still, even if they didn't completely look alike, I could tell immediately that she was this world's Winry._

Omg like woah big surprise, huh? It's weird, cause I'm working on chapter six right now, and I'm looking back and I'm like, "Hmm, maybe I should say something about that…" and "Whoops, now I've gotta edit that…" So yeah. I'm defiantly gonna fail biology and algebra for this story…lol. But I'm being recommended for English AP, the highest English in which I can earn collage credits!! And I'm pretty sure that if you're doing some sort of history project, you can get some good info out of this, because I'm using a LOT of real facts, though stretching the truth here and there……PLEASE REVIEW!!!


	3. Life in Camp

Now, this is a while after Ed and mysterious unnamed girl met. Ed's at a concentration camp because I said so. Haha, no, actually it's because it was that or go shoot people from other countries and such and yeah, there really wasn't much else to do. Thanks to French class, another one I'll probably fail (just kidding, mom!!!) for this one, and I have to say, the ending is currently my favorite part of this so far, and I'm nearly done writing it. But don't skip ahead, cause you'll be confused like woah. Also, sorry about the crappy title. They get better too. Like…I'm not gonna tell you :P Thanks to Fall Out Boy for being my music of choice as I type this!! Finally, happy reading! Oh, wait…

**Life In Camp**

Ed thought about the girl who looked like Winry every day. He wondered what her name was. He wondered if she was still alive. He wondered what had happened to her. He wondered what she was doing, right now, almost a year later.

Everything was in full swing now. They rarely searched cities anymore, camps filled up and people died left and right. Other countries were beginning to get involved; people were beginning to call this "the second world war". Ed wondered what had happened during the first one. It couldn't have been worse than _this_ one, where hundreds of people were exterminated each day, where people could be lined up in a single file so that a single bullet could kill all in the line, where people were separated from their families, and had no idea if they were even still alive…

The worst thing that Ed had seen was that. In the camp, they'd gathered up all the children except for about five that had managed to escape for the time being, and put them on a wagon-like thing to be sent to another camp to be gassed and killed in order to make room for more adults that could do more work. The children hadn't known what was happening, so they waved back happily to their parents, who cried in pain and ran to try to save their children. If they got close enough to touch, the children would say, "Good-bye, mother! I'll see you when I get back!" not knowing that they'd never return.

That's why Ed had left that camp and restationed himself at another that wasn't as awful. Not to say that it wasn't terrible, but they at least treated the prisoners like animals. At the other camp, they'd been lower than that. Anyway, at this camp he'd found some prisoners who were replicas of some of his friends back home. Schezka, whose name he learned was Julenta, Havoc, who was named Poldie, and Fuery, or Fritz (A/N I love how the last one fits. Those are all German names, too, FYI).

But it wasn't for some time, until a new shipment of people came in from another camp that he met her again.

He hadn't recognized her right away. Her cheeks were sunken in, she was pale and her hair was thin and barely reached her shoulders, about the length of Winry's when she was younger. Ed guessed that at the last camp they'd had to shave their heads, because no one else's hair was much longer.

But Edward had had it etched into his mind that the beautiful, longhaired young woman who looked like the love from his younger days that he had met a year ago still looked like that, so it took him a while to realize that it was her. But she had recognized him immediately. Not that she could talk to him. After all, he was a Nazi and she was a prisoner in his camp. But she stole glances at him whenever she could. Ed didn't find that odd, though. He _was_ Edward, right? He was handsome and kind, and whenever it was his duty to serve a meal, he'd scoop the soup from the bottom of the container- that meant that they could get peas or other bits of food. He usually saved this kindness for women and children, though, because there wasn't enough to go around to everyone.

It was on one day, a few weeks after she'd first arrived that he realized who she was. She'd been the last in line for dinner, so she'd gotten the remainders of the soup for the day, which was a few grams more than usual. It was when she mumbled, "Thank you," that Ed remembered. Her weak voice had reminded him of one time when they were younger when Winry was sick. That led him to remember the girl in the alley. Everything flooded back in a matter of seconds. He felt the lump in his pocket; it was her jewelry.

"Wait!" he called after her. She stopped in her tracks to see the man jump over the counter. Luckily, he was the only Nazi currently awake, and he knew that none of the prisoners would tell that he was talking with a Jewish girl. "It's you, right?" he asked, and she nodded. They went over to an empty table and while she ate her small meal he began babbling to her. "I'm so glad I found you again! I've thought about you a lot. And I still have your jewelry, for whenever this ends-"

"Oh! Thank you!" her voice was softer than he remembered. Almost the opposite of Winry's, though it nevertheless sounded like her. "You were right. When they'd captured me and taken me to the first camp, they took all of our valuables. I was glad that I'd trusted you that day. Thank you."

"Hey, no problem. It was the least that I could do," Edward said and smiled at her. She blushed, and looked down into her now empty bowl.

"It's been hard," she muttered, "Not knowing if I was going to live or die. I've almost been killed several times, never mind the malnutrition. When I arrived at the last camp, they sent us women to a room, but I got mixed up with women from another camp. We were led into a room and we thought that we were going to be gassed, but _real water_ came out of the faucets. We were then shaved and made sure we had _nothing_ of value on us, then sent to our 'rooms'. I saw black smoke coming out of a chimney-like tower nearby as they led us there. Some of the younger girls thought that it was snowing, but I knew that it was the ashes of the friends that I had gone there with." The girl looked like she was about to cry, but didn't. Ed assumed that after everything she'd been through, she'd been hardened to the point of not even being able to cry anymore. "But despite all of that, I've been able to hold on, to keep living and moving forward, because…I wanted to see you again." She smiled shyly and blushed. (A/N inspired in part by: Rose)

Ed smiled. "I'm glad you're okay. Er…I guess you're not really all that okay, seeing the shit you've been through, but you know what I mean."

"Thanks," she mumbled again.

They sat there for a few minutes in silence. Then, Ed checked his pocket watch.

"Okay, everyone, time for bed. You know what to do!" he announced in a powerful voice. Everyone put their trays and bowels away, and the girl was about to join them when Ed whispered to her, "Stay close to me." She nodded to show that she'd heard and went with the others.

Once everyone was done they stood in three lines. Most Nazis would make sure that they were perfect, standing up straight and everything. But they knew that with Ed, they could relax a little. They knew he wouldn't do anything, and it was a secret that they kept very well. Without him, many of them would have been dead by that point. Not only was Ed second in command at the camp, but the first in command was pretty dumb, and trusted Ed, so basically, the entire camp was under his control. However, if one of the other Nazis ever found out about his arm and leg, or what he was doing for these people, he might become a prisoner himself, so everyone was very careful about the matter.

They trusted him, and he trusted them. That's why he knew they'd never run off when he was guarding them. And if they did, they knew that they would be killed in one way or another, anyway, though not by his hands.

Once everyone else was inside, Ed took the girl aside with him. The sky was clear, and you could see the full moon shining with the stars.

"I'll get you a better place to stay in," Ed told her, "And a better job where you're less likely to be killed."

"Thank you," the girl whispered, "But…why are you doing all of this for me?"

But standing there in the moonlight with the breeze gently blowing, Ed didn't see the shy little Jewish girl. He wasn't a Nazi in Germany during World War II, and he wasn't surrounded by hundreds of prisoners, all of whom could die the very next day. Instead, he was Edward Elric, the FullMetal Alchemist, standing in Risembool under a tree near Winry's house, with Winry standing right in front of him.

He leaned down and slipped his hands around her waist, and placed his lips on hers. They fit together perfectly. For a moment, she kissed him back, until she realized what they were doing and what could be done to him for it. She pulled back quickly and searched his eyes. They were full of compassion and caring.

"Winry…" Ed whispered, barely audible, so softly, in fact, that the girl didn't hear him.

"What are you doing?" she asked, almost frightened, which made Ed snap out of his trance-like state, "Do you know what could happen to you for doing that? A very powerful man, a Nazi, was put in jail for a few days because he kissed a young Jewish girl on the cheek; imagine what would happen to _you_ is you were caught!"

"I'm sorry," Ed said, looking down.

"Don't be," the girl smiled, and touched his cheek gingerly, "Just be more careful. You worry about all of us, but who you _should_ worry about is yourself."

Ed smiled. "You'd better get back. I'll make arrangements for you tomorrow." The girl smiled and turned. _I can't keep thinking of her as Winry,_ Ed thought, and stopped her. "What's your name?" he asked.

She turned and looked Ed in the eyes and answered, "Carina."

**I am teh awesome!! Lol. And I'm writing the last chapter, and I'm also doing another little chapter thing that will be something I was considering for chapter 6, but never did. The next chapter is called "Disgusted", and I'd like to dedicate it to Algebra class…lol. I thought of a summary for it but it's only a sentence. Here it is: To what lengths will Ed go to keep Carina safe, and move them to another camp? Heehee…I like that chapter too, but I'm a little…mad? Disgusted? Lol at myself for it. Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!!! They're appreciated **


	4. Disgusted

I really like this chapter, too. Ed has to make a tough choice. What will he ever do!? Keep reading to find out : 'Tis a bit short though, but not as short as Ed. Thanks for reviewing, keep 'em coming! I actually thought of the chapter name when I finished this chapter……in algebra…

**Thank goodness for snow days…**

Disgusted 

Before she knew it, Carina held a much safer position. She was physically strong like Winry, even through the torment and malnutrition of the past year and a half. Ed treated her special, but didn't make it obvious so the others wouldn't notice and get jealous.

Why _was _he doing this for her, anyway? Because she looked like Winry? Because he'd made a promise? He didn't know, he just felt compelled to help her most, like there was some sort of connection between them, something that he couldn't define and couldn't erase. There was something there, just a little something, maybe, but something nevertheless.

And he enjoyed it. This new feeling of excitement, suspense.

He had to get out. He had to get _her_ out. He'd been hearing of a place lately, called Schindler's Factory. The Nazis around camp were beginning to accuse the man who owned the factory of things. There was a lover death rather there than anywhere else. People were beginning to suspect that he was even…_protecting_ the Jews. After all, he _had_ been the one to kiss that Jewish girl back then because she'd made him a birthday cake.

So Ed figured that that was the safest place to take her. And he'd have to go with her. It took almost another year, but he got a chance, and he took it. They were going to move about thirty prisoners to Schindler's Factory in order to make more room, so Ed went to talk to the man in charge of the camp.

"A transfer…?"

"Yes, sir."

"Why the hell would you want to go there, Elric?"

"Well, sir," Ed had already thought of an excuse to use, "I just feel that this place is overflowing with soldiers who would love to see me gone so they could get promoted to my place, and to tell the truth, I'm getting pretty bored of this place. I'd like a change of scenery, sir."

The man stared at him for a moment. "You expect me to buy that pile of **shit**!?" Ed swallowed and stared back at the man, trying to look confident. "I don't know what's been going on, but I'm not sure that I can trust you. There are rumors going around that you're a Jew-lover."

"Like I said, sir, they're after my position."

"Still-" Suddenly, there was a big commotion outside. "What the hell was that!?" The two Nazis ran out the door to the balcony, which overlooked the entire camp. There, they saw a Nazi, a young man new to the camp, chasing a young Jewish boy who was trying to escape.

As Ed stared at the scene unfolding before him, he heard the sound of a gun being loaded. "You want a transfer?" he heard the other man say as he put the gun into the young man's hands (A/N Ed), "Prove your loyalty to the Nazi party and you can go. I'll even let you take any five Jews that you want with you."

Was the life of that young boy worth less than Carina's? While Ed knew that it wasn't, his heart wanted her safe above all else. She was special. And with just a pull of the trigger, he could take her with him and keep her safe.

"Any Jews I want?" Ed asked as he aimed.

"Any Jews you want," the man confirmed.

After all, killing a single boy wasn't in any way worse than turning a room full of prisoners into the Philosopher's Stone.

Except he hadn't been able to go through with that.

Two weeks later saw Ed, Carina, Fritz, Poldie, Julenta, and the boy's mother (his father had already died) heading off to Schindler's Factory. Ed figured that taking her was the least that he could do. As they headed off, Carina and the others squashed into a very small space while Ed had much more room to himself, he looked out and saw the hatred in the eyes of the Jews staying behind. He didn't blame them. He'd betrayed them. He'd betrayed all of those people so that _maybe_ one girl could live a little bit longer. And how did he even know that, anyway? But he hoped that it wasn't for nothing. He sat with his head in his hands and tried to think of what Winry would say.

But he couldn't remember. The only thing that he did know was that she'd be disgusted with him for doing to that boy what Mustang had done to her parents.

I can't reveal the next chapter's title, 'cause it'll give too much away. But Ed finds some more familiar faces at the factory, and one will cause him to forget about Carina for a time. I have some lyrics for "Brothers" in there too, since I had it stuck in my head the week that I was writing it. The next chapter's also pretty short. I actually typed this one up during the course of one day! Snow days rock! I was also typing up chapter 5 of "Clash of T3h Animes", so if you wanna see Winry and Ed do a duet together, check it out! In the meantime, review, it'll make my life!


	5. A Mother's Face

Another shortie…(Ed: WHAT DID YOU SAY!? Me: I wasn't talking about you. For once.)…Only a few more chapters! Thanks for the support!! This chapter title is the first one I thought of, even before I started the story. Also, this song defiantly makes my life…

Thank goodness for snow days and delayed openings…

**A Mother's Face**

When they reached the factory, Carina and the other twenty-nine prisoners that had come with them were shoved into some crappy buildings where they were to stay. Ed went to check in with the other soldiers. There were many more here than at the previous camp, though, and they were in perpetually bad moods. Was this place really worth everything that he'd done to get here? Everyday someone was shot, and another two people died from disease or hunger.

_It's even worse than before, _Ed thought, _Damnit! I made a huge mistake! What the hell is _wrong_ with me? What am I _doing

He'd seen to it that the people he'd chosen to come had good jobs and ate at a time when they might get a little more food. But after he got everything set up for them, he let them be, and hoped that they would be okay. He concentrated most on Carina's survival again.

But that was only part of it. There was a Colonel at the camp, who was often praised for all of the Jews and other prisoners he'd killed. And he just _happened_ to resemble Mustang. Not only physically, but a bit mentally as well. He just _loved_ to torture Ed.

Nothing he said moved Ed, though. He always stayed stone, never showing how much it pissed him off when Mustang (which was his actual last name) tauntingly called him "Jew-lover." Until one day, he crossed the line.

_How can I return your wasted breath?_

_What I did not know has cost you dear_

_For there is no cure for death._

A little after a year after they'd arrived at the factory, he saw her. He prayed to the Gods and Goddesses that he didn't believe in that it wasn't her, but there was no getting around it. He knew that, at some point in his life, he'd probably meet up with this woman, but he never guessed that it would be here. Or at least, he hoped not. He always thought that there was a chance, but he never believed- or rather, _wanted to_ believe- that it could actually happen, that she could end up as a prisoner of a Nazi camp.

And what could be worse? Not only was she a prisoner, but she was practically a walking skeleton. She was hardly able to stand and walk, never mind work. But no matter how much pain she went through, she kept working just so she could keep alive. _It's just like before,_ Ed thought, _Except then, it was all for us. Pushing herself through the pain, but not letting us see it…Mom…how could you_ do _this to yourself?_

_Beautiful mother, soft and sweet_

_Once you were gone, we were not complete_

_Back through the years we reached for you_

_Alas, 'twas not meant to be!_

In the back of his mind, somewhere deep, Ed knew what was coming. There were often check-ups, perhaps about once or twice a month, and if you didn't pass, you were dead. He knew that there was no way she'd be able to pass, but he thought that if he could feed her a little more, maybe change her job, and if she could prick her finger and rub some blood on her cheeks, then just _maybe_ she'd pass and be safe.

And then, the day came. It snuck up on him. Even though he'd done all that he could for her (funny. When she was his mother, she'd do everything and anything for him and Al, and now, he was risking everything for her), she wasn't looking any better. Even with the blood on her cheeks, she was pale and gaunt.

Ed had been getting people out of their quarters when he heard a shot and turned around. Mustang was holding a gun in his hand, and on the ground in front of him, seeped in blood and dead, was the woman who, in another dimension, Ed had once called "mother".

Ed forgot his duties and stormed over to Mustang. He couldn't form any words, but his eyes showed his emotions like a book. "What?" Mustang asked coldly, "She was unfit for work. What would _you_ have done, _Jew-lover_?"

"The same," Ed choked out, "I just wanted to tell you that I feel like I'm going to throw up, so I'll be in my room for a while." As Ed walked towards his dorm, he felt a tear sneak out of his eye and roll down his cheek. He felt like that ten-year-old boy again, except worse, because now, he'd seen her die a second time.

_So where do we go from here?_

_And how to forget and forgive?_

_What's gone is forever lost_

_Now all we can do is live._

**Just wanted to say. Ed isn't a wuss or being over dramatic or anything. I don't think that I quite captured the moment (go algebra), but think about it. Sure, she wasn't his actual mother, but she was identical in appearance (he never really talked to her, though), and he just saw his "former boss" shoot her. I think that the image of her dying is always in the back of his mind, and this just brought it back. Like "Wash It All Away", by Evanescence. "You hold the answers deep within your own mind. Consciously, you've forgotten it. That's the way the human mind works; Whenever something is too unpleasant, too shameful for us to entertain, we reject it;  
We erase it from our memories. But the _imprint_ is always there……But the _answer_ is always there. Nothing is ever _really_ forgotten." I hope that sums it up : Since there's only a delay right now, I've gotta get ready for school. But I'll give you a taste of the next chapter, "Keep Holding On". Ed's still depressed over this, but a visit with Carina might help. That is…if she hasn't been killed herself. Reviews are loved!!! And if you're looking for something to lighten the mood after reading this, check out our story Clash of T3h Animes and see what happens when Ed goes to jail after fighting with Kakashi (from Naruto). ALSO please check out my FMA Advice Column. I need 2 more questions before I can post up the next column, and trust me, you're gonna want it up soon!**


	6. Keep Holding On

I have to say, I really love this song. I've been wanting to write a FMA fanfic to it since I first heard it on the radio : This isn't quite what I had in mind, but still. But I _am_ gonna do another songfic to it in my next planned project… It's on the soundtrack for Eragon, aka the movie with people that look like Naruto characters, plus many more anime references. How many can YOU find?

**Keep Holding On**

You're not alone, together we stand 

_I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand_

_When it gets cold, and it feels like the end_

_There's no place to go, you know I won't give in._

_No, I won't give in!_

Two days after the "incident", Ed was still in his room, allegedly "sick". His mind filled with thoughts of that woman, of Sloth; it filled with images of his mother, especially in her final moments. He felt like killing himself; he wasn't even thinking of Alphonse when he dragged the razor blade across his skin. Who knew if he was even alive, anyway? America had gotten involved in the war by now, too, so who was to say that his little brother was even still alive?

_Damnit,_ Ed thought, _I'm so pathetic. Why the hell am I doing this? Is this how Roy felt, too, during the Ishbalan War? When he saw Winry's parents stained with blood? -_ Suddenly, he remembered Carina. She could be _dead _right now, and what was he doing? Acting like a little kid. His mother was dead, he knew she wouldn't come back, and that other woman was merely a mirror image of her. They were different, and though seeing his mother die again gave him enough mental torment to last a lifetime, he wasn't doing any good for _real_ mothers and families that were dying right now.

"Damnit!" he shouted. He pulled on his uniform and ran out the door. When he got outside, though, he realized that it was late in the night, and everyone was sleeping. He cursed again, then sighed and smirked. "Screw it," he said.

He knew where Carina was staying, and quietly snuck there in between the searchlights and while dodging the guards. _This would've been easier at the last camp,_ he thought. But, still, he had to see her; he had to make sure that she was okay.

When he got there, he looked through the tiny window and saw that she was fast asleep. He wasn't surprised; they _were_ worked pretty hard. Even though he could easily take out his key and open the door, he knew that it wouldn't be respectful of her or the other few women in the bunks, so he tapped lightly on the window. After a moment or two, he saw her turn over, and groggily get up.

For a moment again, Ed saw Winry tiredly getting up from bed; the image was exactly the same. She went to the window and squinted to see, and when she saw that it was Ed there, she ran to the door and opened it, letting him in.

"You could have easily opened it," she scolded him, "Why did you risk it?"

"Because," Ed replied, "It wouldn't be very respectful of you and the other women in here if I just came barging in. And what would be the point of waking everyone up when I just wanted to talk to you?"

"Ed," Carina said seriously, "I'm the only one left in this room. My friends, roommates- they're either dead or dying in the 'infirmary', if you can call it that."

So far away, I wish you were here 

_Before it's too late this could all disappear_

_Before the doors close, and it comes to an end_

_With you by my side I will fight and defend._

_I'll fight and defend!_

"What?" Ed asked in disbelief and Carina nodded, "So then my- that woman who was shot during the checkup two days ago, she was staying in here?"

"Ed, many women were shot during that. And men, too."

"Damn…" he muttered. And he had been an emotional pile of crap because of that one woman? It all seemed stupid now, and he felt very foolish.

"Tell me about it," Carina said. Her voice was breaking and she turned away. "You don't know what we have to live with every goddamn day!"

"No," Ed admitted. He wrapped his arms around the sobbing girl and rested the side of his head on top of hers, "But I can imagine. You might not believe this, but I've been through a hell of a lot myself, though I really can't tell you about most of it. At least not now, anyway." He held her tighter and she began to calm down a bit. "I mean, I know this can't even compare to your life, but I've seen my mother die-twice (A/N or with Sloth, would that make it three times? Hmmm…), my father abandoned us at a young age, then I saw _him_ die, and now my brother, Alphonse, my only remaining family, he's in America, and I haven't seen or heard from him since before the war started. For all I know, he could be dead." While Carina's crying ceased, Ed felt close to tears now.

"I can't even remember my mother's face, or her voice. All I have is a name to remember her by. She left me and my father when I was very young."

"Your parents…they were both Jewish, you said?" Ed asked.

"My dad was," Carina turned around to face him, "My mother was a Gypsy. My father told me that she was beautiful and a great singer, and an excellent dancer. He met her when her band of Gypsies came to his town, and they fell in love, and had me. But about two years after I was born, my mother's band came through again, and when they left the town, without our knowing, so did she. Neither of us ever saw her again after that, but dad refused to fall in love with any other woman, always believing, hoping that she'd come back someday, and so he and I lived by ourselves until the war broke out," Carina silently started crying again, "He was shot one day, and I was forced to go out onto the streets where you found me after our home was ransacked and destroyed. And mom-mom's probably dead now, too!"

"Shhhh," Ed comforted her, still holding onto her and rubbing her back to quiet her down.

Hear me when I say, when I say 

_I believe_

_Nothing's gonna change, nothing's gonna_

_Change destiny_

_Whatever's meant to be_

_Will work out perfectly_

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!_

_La da da da, la da da da, la da da da, da da da da da…_

When Carina settled down, Ed asked her, "What was your mother's name?"

"Noa," she whispered. (A/N A stretch? Anyone see it coming?)

"Noa!?" Ed exclaimed, "I've met her, I knew her for a time!"

"You knew my mother?" Carina asked, unbelieving, "But that's so…so…"

"Weird," Ed filled her in.

"Yeah…" she trailed off. She took his hand and led him to her bunk where they sat down; it was just too much news for her to stand right then!

"I never really got to know her that well, but she _was_ beautiful," Ed told her, and combed his fingers through her growing hair, "Like you. And she was kind, and everything else your dad told you." He didn't really think that it would be a good idea to tell her about the whole mind reading thing.

"Thank you," Carina said as Ed got up.

"I should let you get back to sleep now-" but he was cut off when she grabbed his hand.

"Please," Carina begged with her eyes and voice, "Stay just a little bit longer…" Ed smiled down at her.

Keep holding on, 'cause you know 

_We'll make it through, we'll make it through_

_Just stay strong, 'cause you know_

_I'm here for you, I'm here for you_

_There's nothing you can say (Nothing you can say)_

_Nothing you can do (Nothing you can do)_

_There's no other way when it comes to the truth_

_So keep holding on_

'_Cause you know, we'll make it through,_

_We'll make it through._

A few weeks later, Ed ran through the camp, searching for Carina.

"What is it?" she asked when she, out of breath, found her.

"Carina!" he exclaimed, still breathless, "The war's over! Hitler's given up- you're going to be freed!"

Carina was taken aback for a few moments with this unexpected information, then finally stuttered out, "B-but, y-you know they w-won't give us up without a-a fight…"

"Who cares?" Ed asked and clasped her hands," I'll get you out of here. We'll go to America and find my brother- we'll go _together_." She smiled back up at him and gave him a quick hug before they both continued on with their work.

A few days later, Schindler made it official in the camp. Everyone watched as the dead bodies- hundreds of them- were dug up and burned, the ashes blowing away with the wind. The Nazi's last order had been to get rid of the evidence. As Ed whispered to Carina his plans for getting out, he watched "his mother" being thrown into the flames. He just kept talking.

The next day, Colonel Mustang asked, "Hey! Where's that Elric kid?"

"I dunno, sir," another officer replied, "No one's seen him since yesterday."

"Damn Jew-lover," Mustang muttered. But instead of insisting they chase after him, he went back to work.

**I'm also doing an "insert chapter" right now for this chapter. I wanted to write it in here, but decided against it because it'd probably have ruined it. It might still ruin it. Can you say "lemon"? lol. My first, so it's not _too_ graphic. It's really hard for me to write, though (I'm working on it now). That's gonna be up after the extremely long final chapter to Fall Our Boy's "Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year", entitled "Comeback of the Year". That's right, kiddos- it's the next chapter! Carina and Ed go to America- is Al there? What's with the house? And that woman, it's-! Heh, heh, well, I guess you'll have to wait 'till then! Until then, submit a question or 2 to FMA Advice Column and see what Ed, Al, Winry, Mustang, and everyone else has to say about it! CAR BROKE, REVIEWS, YES?**


	7. Comeback of the Year

Aaaaahhhhhh! The final chapter!!! Besides the bonus chapter… This is the longest chapter in this story! So I guess I'd better stop yammering, huh?

**Some of this stuff is a little weird, and some is a little corny…so sorry? It's romantic, though!!!**

**Sorry about the lyrics, they just worked out better this way…**

**Comeback of the Year**

We've traveled like Gypsies, only 

_With worse luck, and far less gold_

_We're the kids you used to love-_

_But then we grew old._

_We're the lifers here 'till the bitter end_

_Condemned from the start_

_Ashamed of the way the songs and the words own_

_The beating of our hearts_

All that the two had to eat was the bread that Ed had stolen from the factory. That was finished off in a few days, though. Traveling across the country, even for only a few days, reminded Ed of when he was still back in Amestris, traveling with Al, searching for the Philosopher's Stone.

There were still soldiers stationed throughout the countryside, positioned to kill. Ed still wore his Nazi uniform for this reason. If they saw him, even if they saw Carina with him, they usually thought nothing of it. Sometimes he'd even get food off of them, if they couldn't find any food and were hungry enough to risk it.

Eventually, they arrived at a city on Germany's northern coast (A/N I checked in History class. It's the only one of Germany's boundaries with sea by it instead of land.). Before then, they'd been able to avoid all cities and most towns, but now they needed to be there in order to get a boat to sail to America. Now, though, they were able to see the devastation of this city. Buildings were blown apart, and there were soldiers from several different countries overflowing the city.

"You should take your uniform off," Carina suggested to Ed, "They're probably fighting against the Nazis, so they'll kill you if they see you dressed like that."

"Yeah, you're right," Ed agreed, stripping himself of his shirt. (A/N Now, now, calm down, ladies) Of course, his pants wouldn't give anything away, so he left them, and he still had a black shirt that had been on underneath the Nazi uniform. "Do you want to stay here or come with me to buy the tickets?"

"I _want _to go with you," Carina said, "But if we're going to get out of here, I'll have to stay here. Otherwise, they'll recognize me, and won't let me go."

So Ed went down into the town. He got many looks, having never been in the town before. He finally navigated himself to where he could buy tickets.

"And why do you want to leave?" the man at the window asked.

"My brother moved to America several years before the war started. We were poor, so my sister and I were going to go over there once we saved up enough money. But then the war started, so we never really got the chance until now," Ed lied. He'd gotten used to doing it, so he'd become very good at lying.

"I see," the man said, "Two tickets, then?"

After about an hour and a half of complicated and confusing who-knows-what of mind numbing interviewing and questioning, Ed had his two tickets for Carina and himself. Their boat would leave in two day's time.

As he walked back to where Carina was, Ed wondered what his mother would say about this- all of this, if she were still there. He often thought of her, which was ridiculous; men his age wouldn't normally think like that. And he _was_ a grown man. But he still dreamt of her at night, relied on her smile in her memories…Instead, his thoughts drifted to Alphonse. He couldn't wait to see him again!- Providing that he was still alive and okay. There were so many things that could have happened to him…but he couldn't think about that now, as he walked back up the hill to Carina.

There's a drug in the thermostat to warm the room up 

_And there's another around to help us bend your trust_

_I've got a sunset in my veins_

_And I need to take a pill to make this town feel okay._

_The best part of "believe" is the "lie"_

_I hope you sing along and you steal a line_

_I need to keep you like this in my mind_

_So give in or just give up!_

A few days later the two were on their way across the vast ocean to America. The people on the ship were very diverse; there were American soldiers and ex-soldiers, ex-Nazis, and a good amount of Jewish people, and some other persecuted people. But besides Ed and Carina, they, for the most part, stuck to these groups and never intermingled unless absolutely necessary.

At least they were well fed, and eventually the color started coming back into Carina's face. Ed promised that with his money (he had been well paid as a Nazi), the first thing that they would do when they got to America would be to buy her lots of new clothes and give her a feast.

For the most part, they stayed in their room and just talked. They talked about the last few years, their pasts (though Ed was limited in what he could say), their families, and so much more. Carina had learned a lot of interesting things in the camps.

"Like, you know the only thing that we had to hold onto was the word 'believe'? Well one day, someone in my room, when we were talking about stuff like that, commented, 'Yes, but the word "believe" contains the word "lie".'"

"That's…really depressing," Ed replied.

"_Everything_ in those camps was depressing," Carina told him.

"Yeah," Ed agreed, "They were."

Then one night, Carina was walking back from the bathroom after dinner. Ed didn't wait for her, since it was right by their room. But when she came back, she told him that she'd seen some of the soldiers and ex-soldiers popping pills and doing other drugs out on the deck. She asked him why they would do that, when compared to the people in the camps, they had been through absolutely nothing.

"Not really," Ed said, lying on his back on his bed, "If those things _really_ made you forget everything and made everything bad go away, I'd probably be doing them, too. But I know that they can't, so I never will." (A/N no one out there should be doing drugs, anyway. Anime and manga should take up all of the money that you could possibly spend on drugs.) Then, he sat up straight and looked at Carina. "They didn't offer anything to you, did they?"

"No," she answered.

"Good," Ed said, lying back down, "'Cause if they did, I'd have to beat them up."

_Like me and Al,_ he thought, _We were a good team. No one could beat us. Heh, damn homunculi…Al, I wish you were here. Just _please _be okay when I come for you. I don't want all of this to have been for nothing. _Then he looked at Carina. No, it hadn't all been for nothing, because he'd been able to help _her_.

"Ed? Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, catching his eye.

He just smiled back at her. "Just thinking," he said. "Come over here." She walked over to his bed and stood over him for a moment. Then she yelped as he grabbed her, and pulled her onto the bed with him.

"Ed!" she exclaimed, but he just held her closer to him. Finally, she gave up the struggle and rested in his arms.

_No, I don't need drugs or any of that shit,_ he thought as he stroked the sleeping girl's hair, _Because_ she _makes my worries go away._

_We're the therapists pumping through your speakers_

_Delivering just what you need_

_We're well read, and poised- We're the best boys_

_We're the chemists who found the formula_

_To make your heart swell and burst!_

_No matter what they say, don't believe a word._

'_Cause I'll keep singing this lie_

_If you keep believing it!_

When they finally got into America and got everything relatively settled, they went into a restaurant and finally had a decent meal. The restaurant had a radio on as they were eating, and it could be heard throughout the building as it was announced that World War II had come to an end.

Upon hearing this, everyone in the restaurant cheered. Women cried and talked about how they couldn't wait to see their husbands and sons again.

Ed smiled and stood up with Carina. He wished all of these people good luck.

"Hey, where are you going?" a man who worked at the restaurant asked, "Aren't you going to celebrate with us?"

"Really, guys, I'd love to," Ed explained, "But I need to find my brother. We've been apart for far too long."

"Hmmm…What's his name?" the man asked, "Lots of people come in and out of here, and I get to know a lot of them, so if he lives near here, I may have met him."

"His name's Alphonse," Ed told him, "Alphonse Elric."

The man dropped the glass that was in his hand, making the glass break all over the floor. "Mr. Elric? Y-you're his brother, Edward that he's always talking about? Man, where have you _been_? For the past how many years he's been coming in here and we got to know each other, and he always talked about you. Even after he got rich and moved into his mansion, he kept coming to this run-down joint."

"W-wait," Ed said, surprised by the news, "What's this about a mansion?"

"Oh, you didn't know? Well, Mr. Elric was down on his luck for a time, but I guess he found his chance. Last I heard, he was one of the top names in science. What did he discover a cure for again…?"

"Do you know where I can find him?"

"Oh, sure," the man replied, and wrote something on a piece of paper, "Here's his address. It's actually only a few miles away from here, so he doesn't come in as often anymore, but give him my regards."

"That's so much!" Ed exclaimed. He grabbed Carina's hand and they ran out of the restaurant.

Several miles, cabs, and hours of walking later, they reached the estate. Ed had no problem getting in the gate, even thought it had been locked, and went up to the front door and rang the doorbell. The door was answered by, surprisingly, a woman. Who looked like—

"M-Marta!?" Ed exclaimed.

The woman sighed. "That's what Al called me when we first met. But my name's Maria. Actually, you look a bit like Al…Hey, wait a minute! How did you get in here!?"

"Uh…er…" Ed stammered, "Look, I'm just here to see Al. Can I do that?"

"Well, no one was scheduled to see him today, and he just got back from that convention in New York…Oh! Unless you're not here on business? So you're a friend of his?"

"Yeah…" Ed said, and Maria invited Carina and him inside.

"What did you say your name was?" she asked as Ed and Carina, amazed at the house, sat on a couch in the living room. "Al! You've got visitors!" she called up the stairs.

"This…compared to the camps…" Carina trailed off.

Then, they saw Al coming down the stairs. "Who is it Mar-" but he stopped when he saw his brother in his living room. "E-Ed? I-is that _you_, brother?"

Are we growing up, or just going down? 

_It's just a matter of time until we're all found out_

_Take our tears, and put them on ice_

'_Cause I swear I'd burn the city down to show you the light…_

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before they hugged.

"Wow, Ed, you look just like Dad!" Al exclaimed.

"WHAT!? I look NOTHING like that bastard!!!!"

"Calm down, brother, I was only kidding! At least you grew. You're finally taller than me!"

"Sheesh, thanks a lot, Al. C'mon, we haven't seen each other for years and the first thing you do is tease me?" Ed asked, then smirked, "At least you've got yourself a girlfriend…"

"H-hey!" Al blushed, flustered, and Ed laughed.

After a few hours, everyone was situated. Maria was cooking dinner, Carina was in her room, previously one of the several guest rooms, and the two brothers were in the younger one's room.

"What's her name?" Al asked. Of course he was talking about Carina. He didn't ask _who _she was; didn't need to. He already knew that.

"Carina," Ed answered.

"Mmmm. She's pretty."

"Y-yeah, I g-guess…So," Ed answered, rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed, "So, what's with the mansion and everything? How'd you get so loaded?"

"It's the funniest thing, brother!" Al exclaimed, "Alchemy is a _lot_ like the sciences in this world! Because of Alchemy, I've been able to discover a lot of things for this world. And I'm pretty much set for life! All I really do now is go to conventions and things here and there, but I don't really need the money. I just wanted something for you to come home to."

"Thanks, Al," Ed said, and hugged his brother.

About two months later, Al went away to California for another convention that he'd been invited to. Maria went with him. Ed wanted to go, too, to keep an eye on the two, until Al pointed out that then Carina would be left all alone in that big house for three days. Ed had then volunteered to stay at the house.

On Saturday, the morning after they'd left, Ed was sleeping when there was a knock on his bedroom door. He groaned and rolled over, then sat up, dangling his feet over the side of his bed and rubbed his eyes and called out, "Come in."

When Carina opened the door, Ed saw that she was wearing the jewelry that he'd kept safe for her (A/N thought I was gonna forget it, didn't ya?), as well as the first dress that he'd bought for her when they'd gotten to America. It was a summer-ish dress, with short sleeves, and it went down to her knees. It was light blue with light green leaves all over, and it was tied around the middle in the back. Her hair was longer, there was color in her skin again, and, thanks to Maria's excellent cooking, she was almost at a normal body weight. She looked beautiful.

"Carina, what is it?" Ed asked, sensing that something was wrong. She looked on the verge of tears.

"Thank you," she said, "For taking care of me for all these years."

"Sure thing," Ed said, confused, "But why are you telling me this now?

"I don't want to burden you anymore. I mean, if it wasn't for me, you could have spent the entire weekend with your brother like you wanted to."

Ed sighed, "Come over here," he ordered. Carina walked over and sat down next to him on his bed. "You missed," he informed her, wrapping an arm around her slim waist and pulling her into his lap. She let out a giggle, and he put his other arm around her waist in a kind of hug, pulling her even closer. "Now," he said quietly, "If I'd thought you were a burden like you said, I would've gotten you to move out long ago, or would have left you in Germany. And secondly, I didn't go with Al because I _chose_ not to. I wanted to go, sure, but I also love being with you."

Carina tried to turn around on his lap, but Ed just held her tighter. She squirmed until he finally let her turn all the way around, but before she could say anything, he kissed her.

It was just a quick kiss, and when they broke apart, Carina asked, "Why did you stop? There was no reason to, this time." And she kissed him. She pushed her weight against him, and he gave way so that they were lying on top of each other.

_Sorry, Win,_ Ed thought as his tongue felt around the opening of Carina's mouth, _But it looks like I'm never going to see you again. Please forgive me._ He felt her hands on his bare chest and kissed her even more passionately.

They finally broke apart, breathless, and sat up straight on the bed again. But it wasn't long before Ed scooped up Carina in his arms again, hugging her.

"Carina," he said to her, "You know I love you, right?"

He could tell that she was blushing as she fumbled for words. What she came up with was, "Y-y-yeah…" Ed laughed until he felt her wrap her arms around him, nuzzle her head into the crook of his neck and whisper, "I lover you too, Ed."

He smiled to himself before saying, "Well, then, let's have breakfast, shall we?" As he got up, he lifted her up. She gave a little yelp of surprise before landing on her feet as they let go of each other. They turned to the door, and as they began walking, Ed grabbed Carina's hand, making her blush again.

"I hope you can cook," Ed said as they made their way down the stairs, "Because I haven't got a clue."

"Cereal it is, then."

And that's it! And now for the looooooong A/Ns… 

**In school, we had these things, "Match Makers" on Valentine's Day that told you things like, who you should date, who your friends should be, stuff about your horoscope, etc, and one was things that happened on your birthday. Mine is June 28th, and it said, "Treaty at Versailles is signed (ending World War I) in 1919," so I thought, "Oh! Perfect!" Because it looked like it said, "World War II". Later, after I'd written something for the radio guy to say, I was reading it out loud to my mom and realized my mistake :P So, I had to change it all around!!! Sigh C'est la vie!**

** For this line, I wanted to have Ed say something about humans, because if you translate those lyrics into _actual words_, they totally sound like something that Ed would say. Only, it didn't fit in and I later forgot about it. Whoopsies '**

** For those of you that read "FMA Advice Column", I didn't do this on purpose, I swear!!! Someone asked the question if Ed could cook, which should be answered by the 8th column, but I wrote this before I ever got that review. I swear, it was a coincidence!! Lol.**

**For many of you, I think that that's it! If you're interested, I'll have the lemon up soon… shudders It might take me a while to get the nerve to type it up, though…Anyway, please check out my other stories! I'm starting a new one, though I'm not sure what I'm gonna call it. Prolly something with "Avril Lavigne" in the title. They'll be good, trust me. Bye for now!**


	8. October Ch 6 Insert

Uhm…yea. This isn't gonna be very graphic (I think. I mean, I wrote it, so it can't be all that bad, considering…myself), so I'm guessing it'd be good for a first time lemon reader. It took me SO long to write this, because I kept thinking, "I'm insane…why am I doing this?" and almost stopped. Lol. It's an "insert chapter" for chapter 6, "Keep Holding On", so you might wanna go back and read that to refresh your memory. Um, with that said…here we go?

**October**

"I should let you get back to sleep now-" but he was cut off when she grabbed his hand.

"Please," Carina begged with her eyes and voice, "Stay just a little bit longer…" Ed smiled down at her.

I can't run anymore, I fall before you  
Here I am; I have nothing left  
Though I've tried to forget, You're all that I am  
Take me home, I'm through fighting it  
Broken; Lifeless; I give up  
You're my only strength.  
Without you, I can't go on. Anymore. Ever again.  
I can't run anymore; I give myself to you  
I'm sorry…I'm sorry…  
In all my bitterness, I ignored all that's real and true  
All I need is you  
When night falls on me, I'll not close my eyes  
I'm too alive- And you're too strong  
I can't lie anymore; I fall down before you  
I'm sorry…I'm sorry…  
Constantly ignoring the pain consuming me  
But this time it's cut too deep-  
I'll never stray again My only hope (All the times I've tried to run)  
My only peace (To walk away from you)  
My only joy, my only strength (I fall into your abounding grace)  
My only power, my only life (And love is where I am)  
My only love. 

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked her.

"I don't want to have any regrets if I die tomorrow," came the answer.

"Alright then," he said, lying down on top of her, so that her breasts were pressed up against his chest. He started out just kissing her mouth; she kissed him back. Their tongues slipped by each other; their teeth gnashed against each other. His hand snuck up her shirt, feeling every rib that jutted out as it made it's way up. He made slow circles on her breast with his finger, feeling the nipple harden as their tongues danced.

That just made him lose it. He moved his mouth down her neck, _feeling_ her every moan of pleasure. His tongue tickled her ear for a moment before returning to her neck, then daring to go lower. As he brought his mouth lower, he unbuttoned her shirt, then felt her arch her back as another moan escaped her lips.

God, she was thin.

After a few minutes on each, his mouth moved from her breasts back up to her lips as they hungrily kissed again. As they were doing so, he started moving his body back and forth, up and down hers. Her body began moving in time with his, rhythmically. They moved faster and faster, moaning and sighing against the other's lips while they passionately made-out at the same time. His mouth left hers to move down to her breasts again. As they moved back and forth, she caught his jacket and began to unbutton it, halting their movements. When she was done unbuttoning it, he slid it off his shoulders, along with the t-shirt he had been wearing underneath as she took her shirt the rest of the way off. Their pants came off just as easily.

"You're sure?" he asked one last time, and she gave an affirmative nod.

There was no going back now. It was easy enough for him to slide into her, but she was biting back tears. Well, it _was_ her first time, after all. Come to think of it, the same went for him as well. Still, they had no problem figuring out what to do. Again, he asked her if she wanted to stop, but again, she said no. They moved their bodies in rhythm again, going slow at first, then picking up speed as they got more comfortable. They kissed each other everywhere imaginable on the upper body as they went along.

After a while- how long had it been now? The Sun should be rising soon- they slowed down again, breathless. They laid in each others arms for a bit, no longer moving, almost sleeping, until Ed realized that if he stayed much longer they'd find him there, and bolted upright.

Carina gasped as she realized this too. "I-I'm so sorry. You'd better hurry and get dressed and go."

He first helped her into her own clothes before slipping into his. "I'll see you later, then," he said, standing by the door wither her. He lingered there; he didn't want to go. This woman…

"Y-yeah," she said, averting her eyes. He then took her hands in his and when she looked up, he kissed her on the cheek. She looked at the smiling man for a moment with wide eyes, then as tears began to fill them, she wrapped her arms around his middle and buried her head in his chest. He put his hands around her waist, feeling her shoulders shake, and whispered in her ear.

"I'll get you out of here, and after that, _nothing_ will be able to keep me from your side."

It's finally and officially finished!!! Yay!!! I wonder if, after I put this up, I should delete it from my computer so my parents don't see it……lol. Can you tell that I've never had sex? I hope it was good, though. And FYI, it wasn't like wham, bam, thank you ma'am (thanks, Nuss lol), because yeah, they DO like each other, and they ARE both of age. I think she's, like, a year younger than him. So thanks to everyone who read, and PLEASE review!!! 3 I should have another story going on soon, until then, check out "FMA Advice column" and "Clash of T3h Animes" for some fun!


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